Printing cylinder with ink belts for multicolor single impression printing



PRINTING CYLIN INK BEL F MULTICOLOR SIN SSION P T Jan. 30, 1968 F. v.szAsz 3,366,046

DER WITH GLE IMPRE Filed Feb. l, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet l VENTOR FRANK l.SZ

. ATTORNEYS Jan. 30, 1968 F. v. szAsz 3,366,046

PRINTING CYLINDER WITH INK BELTS EGR NULTIGGLGR SINGLE IMPRESSIONPRINTING Filed Feb. l, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. FRANK u 52,452

United States Patent O 3 366 046 PRINTING CYLINDR ,VITH INK BELTS FORMULTICLUR SINGLE IMPRESSION PRINT- ING Frank V. Szasz, Mission, Kans.(5816 Cherokee Drive, Shawnee Mission, Kans. 66205) Filed Feb. 1, 1966,Ser. No. 524,152 3 Claims. (Cl. 101-176) ABSTRACT F THE DISCLSURE Thisinvention relates to improved printing apparatus and methods and moreparticularly, to an apparatus and method for multicolor printing with asingle printing member.

Printing in multiple colors has become a highly developed art which isnormally accomplished with complex printing apparatus including aplurality of spaced apart printing members and sophisticated registerdevices for maintaining the proper relative position of the printedimage as it travels between the printing members for application ofdifferent colored inks. To applicants knowledge, the only suggestedautomatic printing apparatus which prints multiple colors with a singleprinting member has been limited to the application of a single coloralong any line of longitudinal motion of the printed material. Incertain cases, a single transfer blanket has been used to carry atwo-color image to a web, but this required two synchronized printingplates or printing members. Further, known multicolor printing methodsand apparatus, particularly when printing in more than two colors, areexpensive and, therefore, often unsuitable to extensive use in printingnewspapers, low cost advertising material and the like.

The principal objects of the present invention are to provide animproved apparatus and method which permits printing multiple colorswith a single printing member; to provide such an apparatus and methodwhich is not limited to the application of a single color along a lineof longitudinal motion; to provide such an apparatus and method which isrelatively inexpensive to build and use and may be easily adapted toexisting printing presses; to provide such an apparatus and method whichis Well suited to high speed continuous web printing, but is not limitedthereto; to provide such an apparatus and method which may be used forsimultaneously printing a large number of colors simultaneously, forexample, five; and to provide such an apparatus and method which is wellsuited for its intended purpose.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent fromthe following description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings wherein are set forth by way of illustration and examplecertain embodiments of this invention.

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary schematic cross-sectional side elevation of apreferred form of apparatus embodying this invention for printing amulticolored impression on a moving web.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary schematic cross-sectional perspective View ofthe apparatus illustrating additional details.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view through the apparatus on anenlarged scale showing a typical contact area between an inking blanketand the printing cylinder.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view through the apparatus on anenlarged scale illustrating the use of a removable inking blanket on aflexible transfer belt.

FIG. 5 is a perspective View illustrating a transparent composing sheetoverlaid on a printed proof sheet for treating areas on the transparentsheet corresponding to the desired positions of a selected color on thefinal printed image.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 but illustrating a second transparentsheet being treated for a second color.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating the use of a treatedtransparent sheet in producing an inking blanket for applying one colorink to the printing cylinder.

Referring to the drawings in more detail:

The reference numerals 1 generally indicates a preferred form ofapparatus embodying this invention for printing multiple colors on amoving web with a single printing member. The apparatus 1, in thisexample, comprises a mill or feed roll 2 adapted to feed a web of paper3 continuously over suitable guide rollers 4l, 5, and 6. The guideroller 6 releases the paper 3 between an impression cylinder 7 and aprinting member or cylinder 8 for printing thereon and a guide roller 9directs the paper to other apparatus (not shown) for subsequentoperations.

The printing cylinder 8 is simultaneously inked in five colors duringeach revolution thereof byl inking members 19, 11, 12, 13 and 14respectively comprised of a flexible belt 15 of the type known as atiming belt having spaced apart teeth 16 on the interior surfacethereof. The teeth 16 of each belt 15 are engaged with respective pairsof sprocket rollers 17 and 13 by which the belt may be drivensynchronously with cooperating equipment. The belts 15 are respectivelypulled into an elongated shape by the respective sets of rollers 17 and1li so that relatively little circumferential space is taken about theprinting cylinder 8 by each belt. This permits a relatively large numberof belts, in this case five, to be simultaneously positioned adjacentthe printing cylinder 8 by generally radial positioning, as bestillustrated in FIG. l. An ink fountain assembly is provided for each ofthe inking members 1b to 14 inclusive and designated respectively 19,Ztl, 21, 22 and 23. Each comprises an ink fountain 2liand suitableinking rollers 25, 26, 27 and 28 which are used in a known manner totransport and apply ink under controlled conditions to a receivingsurface.

The printing cylinder 8 is covered by a suitable printing plate 29which, in this example, is of the relief type (FIG. 3), but, if,desired, may be of the lithographic or intaglio type. The flexible belts15, in this example, are covered with inking blankets respectivelydesignated 30, 31, 32, 33 and 34. The inking blankets are removablysecured to the respective belts 15 by suitable means, for example,adhesive and in predetermined positions thereon as indicated by suitablealignment members 35 which fit into corresponding receivers 36 on thebelts. The inking blankets have ink transfer areas 37 thereon which, inthis example, are characterized as being in relief, that is, raisedabove the base surface 33 of the blanket; however, the ink transferareas 3/ may be characterize-d by ink accepting lithographie or intaglioareas without departing from the scope of the invention.

The ink transfer areas 37 may be positioned anywhere on the respectiveinking blanket, the only limitation being that inking areas of oneblanket do not overlap corresponding positions of ink transfer areas onother blankets. The respective blankets, in this example, have aperipheral length equal to the circumference of the printing cylinder 8at the effective diameter of the printing plate 29 and are drivensynchronously with the printing cylinder 8 so that each ink transferarea 37 on the respective inking blankets always contacts the printingplate 29 at a predetermined position during each printing cycle. In thisexample, the synchronous driving of the inking blankets with theprinting cylinder S is accomplished by a suitable prime mover 39, gearreducer et) and drive shaft di. The drive shaft 41 simultaneouslyrotates gears 4Z and 43 which are respectively meshed with gears le and4S. The gear 44, through a shaft 46, drives a gear 47 which is meshedwith a gear 48 driving the inking member iii). Idler gears 49 mesh withthe gear 4S and additional gears such as Si) for simultaneously drivingthe remaining inking members il, 12, i3 and 1d. The gear 45, through ashaft Si, drives the printing cylinder 8 which contacts and prints onthe web 3.

As noted above, the ink transfer areas 37 do not overlap correspondingareas 37 on other blankets. The respective areas 37, however, may exceedthe size of the corresponding printing area 52 on the printing plate 29which it services, FIG. 3, so long as there is no application ofmultiple colors on a single spot. The ink fountain assembly 19 isconventionally driven by structure (not shown) forming part of theoverall press apparatus and respectively operate to apply ink of thedesired color only on the ink transfer areas 37 of the respective inkingblankets.

In operation, each of the ink fountains 24 may be charged with adifferent color ink. The ink is applied by the ink fountain assembliesto the respective inking blankets on the ink transfer areas 37 thereof.The respective transfer areas 37 Contact only a particular predeterminedprinting area 52 on the printing plate 29 whereupon the different colorinks are respectively applied to particular predetermined areas on theprinting plate 29 in a single printing cycle. The different color inksare then simultaneously printed on the web 3 to produce various printedareas 53 of respectively different colors.

The ink transfer areas 37 on the respective inking blankets arepreferably formed in the following manner; however, other methods offorming the ink transfer areas may also be used without departing fromthe scope of this invention. A blank proof sheet 54 is made from theprint ing plate 39, for example, entirely in black ink, and atransparent member such as an acetate sheet 55 is overlaid thereon. Thecomposer may then take a suitable marking device such as a brush 56 andapply a suitable chemical to the sheet 55 on areas 56 corresponding toareas on the sheet 54 which he desires to be a particular color, FIG. 5.A second acetate sheet 57 is then applied over the proof sheet 54 andthe composer treats the areas 57 which he desired to be printed in asecond color, FIG. 6. This is repeated until a transparent sheet iscompleted for each color which the composer desires to use. The sheetsmay then be overlaid on respective sensitized blanket members 58 and theinking areas, for example 57', transferred thereto in a conventionalmanner, as by a suitable transfer light 60, FIG. 7. The respectiveblanket members 58 are then suitably treated, for example, by an etchingprocess leaving the desired ink transfer areas thereon in relief. In thealternative, one of the well known flexographic methods for producingthe ink transfer `areas might be used. It is to be understood that, ifdesired, a single transparent sheet may be used and several selectivechemicals applied to the single sheet to determine the particular inktransfer areas for the respective blanket members 58, and suitablefilters used to distinguish the colors in exposing the respectiveblanket members from the single sheet.

It is to be understood that while certain forms of this invention havebeen illustrated and described, it is not to be limited thereto exceptinsofar as such limitations are included in the following claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. Apparatus for printing multiple colors with a single impressioncomprising:

(a) a printing cylinder,

(b) a printing plate removably mounted on said cylinder, said printingplate having a plurality of printing areas thereon respectively spacedfrom each other,

(c) a set of rst rollers circumferentially spacedapart about andadjacent to said cylinder and having diameters substantially smallerthan said cylinder, a set of second rollers generally radially spacedfrom said cylinder and aligned with said respective first rollers,

(d) =a plurality of ink fountain assemblies respectively adjacent saidsecond rollers and each adapted to dispense a different color ink,

(e) a plurality of elongated flexible inking belts respectively mountedon said aligned rst and second rollers and each adapted to cooperatewith one of said inking fountain assemblies for receiving ink therefrom,said inking belts having an effective peripheral length equal to theeffective circumference of said printing cylinder,

(f) positive drive means engaging said printing cylinder and said inkingbelts for driving said printing cylinder in continuously synchronizedperipheral registry with said inking belts,

(g) said inking belts each having an ink transfer area thereoncorresponding to one of said printing areas and not overlapping aprinting area serviced by another of said inking belts,

(-h) whereby during a single revolution of said printing cylinder, saidprinting plate receives thereon a plurality of different color inksrespectively restricted to predetermined printing areas.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

(a) said belts include drive teeth engaging said drive means.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

(a) said ink transfer areas are positioned on blankets removably securedto said belts.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 546,024 9/1895 Morrison.

688,172 l2/l90l Hawes lOl-176 l,lG8,063 S/l9l4 Bonnier lOl-211 1,501,8177/1924 Sevigne lOl-40 2,659,305 l1/l953 Giori lOl-175 3,263,606 8/1966Poynter lOl-176 X FOREIGN PATENTS 653,292 5/l951 Great Britain.

ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner.

I. R. FISHER, Assisiant Examiner.

